There are a lot of Green Lanterns in the DC Universe, but only one has the ability to stop Hal Jordan in his tracks when he goes off the rails.
Of all the Green Lanterns in the DC Universe, there's one that the great Hal Jordan yields to when confronted. During a calamity caused by Jordan's flagrant rule-breaking, one Lantern's intense authority and power had what it took to stop the hotshot in his tracks.
The title Green Lantern is shared by a number of diverse heroes all across the universe. The Green Lantern Corps recruits individuals possessing great wills and with over three thousand areas to monitor, their numbers are vast. As one of the most active and troubled planets of Sector 2814, multiple Green Lanterns have come from Earth, giving the planet a tremendous variety of ring-slingers. Hal Jordan may have been the first, but he's been joined in his mission by other Lanterns like John Stewart, Jessica Cruz, and the boisterous Guy Gardner.
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But of all the Green Lanterns in the world, which one has the uncanny ability to cause Hal Jordan to defer to them? Turns out, it's not even a member of the Corps. In Green Lantern #16 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, Hal Jordan has sparked an international incident after violating a new law preventing international boarder-crossing from superheroes. The Justice League arrives to defend their ally so that he does not get arrested by the Rocket Red Brigade, Russia’s elite super-team. While the League tries to get Jordan to explain why he's broken the law again, Green Lantern attempts to slip away, promising he will explain later. That doesn't fly with Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern and one of Hal's mentors. Scott demands that Jordan explain his actions right now. Hal notes that even with his force field up, he can still feel the intense heat radiating from Scott's flames.
It makes sense that Hal Jordan would defer to Green Lantern Alan Scott. The senior superhero has served as a guiding hand to the more junior Lantern and Hal has been shown to have a great level of respect for Alan before. It is interesting that Green Lantern notes he can feel the heat of Alan's flames, even when Hal is protected by his ring. And while there's a strong chance that Scott could beat Jordan in a fight, what ultimately makes Hal relent is the admiration he has for the Golden Age hero.
Respect for one’s elders is a noble trait, and if there are any heroes worthy of respect, it's the Justice Society of America. Despite the problems Jordan has with authority, he reveres Alan Scott as the original bearer of the Green Lantern mantle. It also doesn't hurt that Scott knows how to wield his powers well enough to do some serious damage to the younger Lantern. But it would obviously never come to that because Hal and Alan have a history together. So, when he hears it from the Golden Age Green Lantern to take a pause, Hal Jordan knows he seriously needs to stop and think about what he's doing.
Justin Epps is either a professional amateur or an amateurish professional depending on who you ask. Wanting to break into entertainment journalism, as well as capitalize on his lifelong hobbies, he's begun taking up writing jobs starting here at Screen Rant. He's currently based in South Carolina and wondering if it's humanly possible to type up 600 articles a month.